reviews of British gardens and nurseries, large and small.
A mellow Cotswold stone house sitting handsomely in surrounding parkland is most likely to be high on many people's list of 'dream house & garden' combinations. Situated near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, the garden at Rockcliffe is open only once or twice a year and is well worth a visit. The grassy steps leading up to... Continue Reading →
If you happen to live in Northamptonshire or Oxfordshire you may possibly have heard of Wappenham, but I would like to bet that not many people know of this village's existence. It's a tiny village - sadly no pub or shop but what it does have is a number of jolly nice gardens. We were... Continue Reading →
Cottesbrooke Hall and Gardens are open on Wednesdays and Thursdays which is not much good if one works full time! Luckily the gardens are also open under the National Gardens Scheme once a year and we were lucky enough to be in the area at the right time this year. The Queen Anne house... Continue Reading →
The walled city of Taroudant lies in the Sous Valley in South West of Morocco. Overlooked by both the Atlas and Anti Atlas mountains, this ancient city is often compared to Marrakesh. We were in the area to take a look around some of the private gardens in Taroudant, many of them designed by French... Continue Reading →
Wakehurst is a pleasingly placed botanic garden, situated only a few miles from Gatwick and easily accessible from the M23. Visiting gardens in winter usually means fewer crowds but on this bright February day there were a huge number of families and visitors enjoying the space and freedom that Wakehurst provides. Owned by the National... Continue Reading →
Thousands of crocus tommasinianus are the main reason for a February garden visit to Little Court garden in the pretty village of Crawley near Winchester in Hampshire. Owner Patricia Elkington has been opening in aid of the National Garden Scheme since 1984 and this year she will be generously welcoming visitors from February to June.... Continue Reading →
As a South East of England dweller, I'm accustomed to National Trust properties being over-run with visitors, car-parks bursting at the seams and having to wait for a table in a tea room. Not so in quieter parts of England, such as Northamptonshire. It came as something of a surprise to note that Canons Ashby... Continue Reading →
Who knew that the Surrey market town of Guildford was home to an important English Heritage Grade II Listed Garden? Well not me that's for sure. Designed by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe in 1956-57 to symbolise the flight of the first Sputnik, the rooftop Water Garden was built for Harvey's department store & is described by... Continue Reading →
Occasionally I like to review a garden outside the United Kingdom and a recent trip to Lanzarote revealed to me that this little island is not just a holiday destination for people wanting sunshine & sangria. The former home of landscape designer and artist, César Manrique, Lanzarote serves as a portfolio to the talented Manrique whose... Continue Reading →
It was a great privilege to be invited to Denmark to visit the garden of celebrated gardener & publisher Claus Dalby. Situated in Risskov, the garden sits mainly to the front of the elegant 100 year old house where an explosion of colour at the end of the lime avenue beside the house invites you... Continue Reading →
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